‘ Sad day for Pakatan’

> Proposal for Mahathir to be PM shows its sorry state of affairs, says Rahman Dahlan

KUALA LUMPUR: Pakatan Harapan’s proposal for Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to be its candidate for the prime minister position shows the sad state the Opposition is in, said Barisan Nasional (BN) strategic communications director Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan.

He said if speculations were true, it would be a turnaround of their previous stand to empower the youths.

“It’s not only a sad day for Malaysia but also a sad day for Pakatan. They have been championing empowering youths to become leaders.

“It’s a total U-turn. It’s sad and actually surprising, and I think it won’t go down well with the people,” he said on the sidelines of the Umno general assembly yesterday.

Abdul Rahman, who is also Umno supreme council member, said it was also saddening that the Opposition was unable to find younger candidates to lead the country, despite being in the political scene for some time.

Several media reports had quoted sources saying that most in the Opposition have agreed to name former premier Tun Mahathir as the interim prime minister if the coalition wins the next general election.

Sources also claimed PKR president Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail was nominated as the deputy prime minister.

Umno Wanita chief Tan Sri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said the suggestion to have Mahathir as the prime minister candidate “spoke for itself”.

Shahrizat pointed out that while BN always paid extra attention in empowering the rakyat, the Opposition has failed to come up with a proper plan to develop the nation.

“National development has always been the prime minister’s priority. But what are the Opposition’s plans? They only have plans for themselves, and that’s the difference,” she said.